Safety attachment for watercraft



I July 25, 1944. J. H. HERMANSON SAFETY ATTACHMENT F OR WATERCRAFT FiledMay 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. Jam: bf HER/m 05 ON BATTO/WVEYS JJJ July 25, 1944.

J. HERMANSON SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WATERCRAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I FiledMay INVENTOR- Ja/wv h. HERA m N60/V Patented July 25, 1944 UNITED OFFICE"2,354,316 Y SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WATERCRAFT I i "JohnH Hermanson,Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 6, 1943, Serial No. 485,815

t Claims.

This inventio'n relates to safety attachments for watercraft and thesame" is more particularly directed to an improved means for temporarilyclosing a hole in the hull of shipespecially when said holeresults ,fromthe explosion of a torpedo striking against the hull. v

Broadly, the invention comprehends the use of one or more safetyunitslocated onopposite sides ofthe hull of a ship and each of whichunits includes a closure'member normally disposed in an inactiveposition above the water-line to gether -with means .fOI retaining said,closure member in said inactive posit'ionand which retaining means isso constructedt and arranged as to effect the automatic release of the fclosure member by the explosion of a torpe'do in the region pf saidretaining means whereby said closure member will be instantly moved toan active position in covering relation to the, hole in the hull forclosing the'sametogprevent the ingress of adangerous amount oi'waterinto the As" a further feature, the vinvention embodies means formingapart of each 'safety'iinit .for lashing down the closure member andretaining As shown, the ship is' provided with a plurality ofsafetyunits each of which is designated generally by the referencecharacter E and said units are arranged on opposite sides of the hull Aprefer'ably-amidships as this isthe vital region and is usuallythat'arget area at which torpedoes are aimed, it being understood thatthe stem and stern portions are usually subdivided by bulkheads and notas vulnerable as the midshipsregion where the engines are installed.

Each safety unit E, as disclosed in Figs. 1. and 2, includes a closuremember '8 in the form of a substantially flat door or panel of sizewhich will cover the maximum hole which is produced strength towithstand the water. pressure imthe sa'me in covering relation toftheholeiin the hull to therebyf preclude' relative movement of the'saniewith .reie'rence to'the hull as alresult offthe rollin gofthe ship. p ,t

lith the above enumerated and other objects in view. the invention is.set forth in greater detail in the following specification,particularly po nted out in the appended claims and illusttra'tefd inthe accompanying drawings, which: Fig; l is a fragmentary, sideyi'ew ofa ship equipped with safety units constructed in accordancewiththe'invention and illustrating the closure members of said unitsnespectively. in active and inactive positions. I

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View therethrough taken approximatelyan the line Z-2.'of Fig. 1 H

to 2 illustrating asa modification a flexible rol-l--up' type ofclosuremember;

4 is a similar view of jiurther modification showing a closuremember of'thesliding typ w v "Fig '3 is a fragmentarytransverse view similarposed thereon when in'i'ts active position in covering relation-'to -thehole in the hull, The door or panel 8 is swingably connected to the sideof the hull A" above the water-line by hinge means In, the axis'o'fwhichextends horizontally and parallel with the s'ide of the hull so thatsaid closure'member may swing downwardly and outwardly from its normalinactive "position where it extends vertically upward from the hingemeans l0, to its active position depending from its "hinged connectionwith the hull. Spring means I l is provided for urging the closure members '8 toswing outwardly and downwardly so as to insure instantaneousmovement of the same to their active position in covering-relation tothe hole inthe hull when the same are released.

In order to provide independent means for re taini-ng the closure member8 of'each unit E in itshorinal'inactive position against the tension ofth'e spring means H, which means is automatic'ally releaseable by theexplosion of a torpedo striking against the hull in the region of one ormore of said safety units, an endless fiexible element such'as a rope orcable F is employed for each closure and said element is trained througha series of eye-bolts or' screw eyes l2 secured to the :side of the hullbelow the closure member'both immediately above and below thewater-line. 'The flexible element is also trained around'and througheyelets 1.3 on guide sleeves l4 disposed above the closure members andcarried by the terminals of arms 15 each of which is swingably mountedon thepivo-t l6 of a bearingjli'l secured-to the deck B1. The eye-boltsexplosion of a torpedo against the side of the' hull, to thereby insurethe release of the closure members 8.

I For the purpose of lashing or battening down the closure members 8,when the same have been released and swung to covering relation to thehole in the hull A, each unit includes one or more flexible rods orpoles 20, two being shown in the present disclosure. The rods or polesare mount.- ed for guided longitudinal sliding movement in the sleevesI4 and normally lie in a substantially horizontal inactive positionabove the deck B with the outer or lower hooked extremity 2| thereofretracted to a location adjacent to the sleeve Hi, the hooked extremity2| being preferably formed as a separate sectionof the pole or rod andcause the closure members 8 to swing away from the hull and therebyuncover. the hole unless some means were provided to positively retainsaid closures in covering relation. The rods or poles 20 have thereforebeen provided for this purpose and as soon as the closure members reachtheir covering relation to the hole, members of the crew will manuallyengage the hooked extremities 2i with the bilge keel D, after which thehooks 32 are engaged with the rods or poles 20; The engagement of thehooked extremities 2l with the bilge keel is greatly facilitated due tothe fact that said extremities are urged at an inwardlydirected angle bythe leaf springs 24.

After this has been accomplished and the hooks 32 engaged the rods orpoles 20 will then be -1iexed to. overliethe closure member and tocoincide with the contour of the side of the hull. The nuts 26 are thentightened down against the guide sleeves M to draw up on the rodsorpoles to thereby retain the hooked extremities in fixedinterengagement with the bilge keel. It will thus be evident that therods or poles function as a means for lashing orbattening down theclosure fulcrumed as at 22 within a split terminal sleeve 23 secured tothe oute'rend portion of the rod or pole. The hooked extremity isnormally urged at anangle to the pole or rod by aleaf spring 24 for apurpose which is hereinafter set forth. The inner or upper end of eachpole or rod 20 is threaded as at 25 and has engaged thereon a nut 26formed with radially projecting manipulating handles 21.

The arms 15 are adjusted and retained in various angular positions bymeans of jacks .28 having upper and lower threaded sections 29 and 30which are respectively secured to the'arms and deck for relativeswinging movement and which jacks also include a central rotaryturnbuckle section 3| for effecting relative movement of the, uppersection 29 toward and away from the lower section 30. The jacks areutilized for several purposes, namely, to draw the flexible element F!taut, as previously set forth and to dispose the sleeves M in the mostadvantageous position when maneuvering the. rods or poles 20 foreffecting the lashing or battening down of the closure members 8. a

Each safety unit further includes a hook 32 for each rod .or pole 20 andsaid hooks are rotatably on vertical pins 33 adjacent to the side edgesofthedeckB. n In use and operation, when a torpedo. strikes the side ofthe hull and explodes, the flexible members 8 against the side of thehull. B in covering relation to the hole with the packing strip orgasket compressed into sealing contactwith the hull and in surrounding.relation to the hole.-

.In theform of the invention shown in Fig. v3, the safety unit embodiesa flexible roll-up type of door or panel 35 with the upper end 36thereof anchored to the side of the hull above the water-line while inFig. 4, the safety units are 1 provided with doors or panels 31 whichare elements F of one or more of the safety units E in the region of thetorpedo hit will, as aresult of the force of the explosion, be severedto thereby release one or more ofthe closure members 8 so that the samewill instantly swing outwardly and downwardly by the combined forces ofgravity and the tensioned spring means ll, thus covering the hole formedin the hull by the torpedo hit. The explosion momentarily operates toforce the water away from the side of the hullso that little if anywater will. be shipped before the closure members 8 reach theiractivepositions in covering relation to the hole. While the pressure of thewater against the side of the'hull B is suflicient to hold the closuremembersin covering relation to the hole, it has been found in a heavysea that the rolling of theship would mounted .on the hull for verticalguided sliding movement with reference thereto. ;The doors or panels in.said.,modifications are similarly retained in their inactive positionsby the flexible elements F and released in the same manner aspreviously. described in connection with the swinging closure members 8and are battened" or lashed down by the rods or poles 20 in themannerpreviously set .forth in ,connection with the closuremembers 8.

I What is claimed is;

1. In an attachment for watercraft, safety units for closing holesformed in the hull. of a ship by torpedo hits, each unit includingaclosure member mounted. on the hullfor movement from a raised inactiveposition above the water-line to a lowered activeposition in coveringrelation to the hole inthe hull, and means for normally retainingsaidclosure member in ,a raised inactive position above the water-linewhichincludes an endless flexible element having a portion engaging withsaid. member to hold the same in the inactive position and a portiondisposed below said member in a position to be severedv by the explosionof a torpedo hit in the region of the closure member. I 1

2. In an attachment for Watercraft, safety units for closing holesformed inthehull of a ship by torpedo hits, each unit including aclosure member mounted on the hull for movement from a raised inactiveposition above the water-line to a lowered active position in coveringrelation to the hole in the hull, and means for normally retainingsaidclosure memberin'araised inactive position above the water-line whichincludes an endless flexible element having a portion engaging with saidmember to hold the same in the inactive position and .a portion disposedbelow said .member in a position to be severed ,by the explosion of atorpedo. hit inthe region of the closure member, said retaining meansalso including a device disposed above the closure member when in itsinactive position through which device the upper portion of the flexibleelement is trained.

3. In an attachment for watercraft, safety units for closing holesformed in the hull of a ship by torpedo hits, each unit including aclosure member mounted on the hull for movement from a raised inactiveposition above the Waterline to a lowered active position in coveringrelation to the hole in the hull, and means for normally retaining saidclosure member in a raised inactive position above the water-line whichincludes an endless flexible element having a portion engaging With saidmember to hold the same in the inactive position and a portion disposedbelow said member in a position to be severed by the explosion of atorpedo hit in the region of the closure member, said retaining meansalso including adjustably swingable arms and a guide sleeve carriedthereby normally disposed above the closure member When in its activeposition, said guide sleeve having an eyelet through which the upperportion of the endless flexible element is trained.

4. In an attachment for watercraft, safety units for closing holesformed in the hull or a ship by torpedo hits, each unit including aclosure member mounted on the hull for movement from a raised inactiveposition above the water-line to a lowered active position in coveringrelation to the hole in the hull, and means for normally retaining saidclosure member in a raised inactive position above the water-line whichincludes an endless flexible element having a portion engaging with saidmember to hold the same in the inactive position and a portion disposedbelow said member in a position to be severed by the explosion of atorpedo hit in the region of the closure member, said attachment alsoincluding adjustably swingable arms, a guide sleeve carried therebynormally disposed above the closure member when in its inactiveposition, said guide sleeve having an eyelet through which the upperportion of the endless flexible element is trained and a flexible rodhaving a threaded upper end slidably mounted in the guide sleeve andhaving a hooked lower terminal adapted to engage with the bilge keel anda nut on the threaded upper end of the rod adapted to engage with theguide sleeve for drawing the rod upwardly to batten down the closuremember.

' JOHN HERMA soN.

